Mr. Potato Head & Shoulders: Shampoo for Your Flaky Spud?
A few nights ago, amid quiet contemplation at home, I
decided to post a “mash-up” on Facebook, in the hopes of eliciting a little
wordplay competition from a friend or two. A similar post (“For Whom the Taco
Bell Tolls”) a couple years ago had yielded some spirited commentary (my friend
John McNally famously wrote, “Burger King Lear”, among many replies from many
people) and I hoped for some of the same this time, by posting “Tae Bo Diddley.”
Three people would join me to produce the bulk of a truly exceptional, stunning
thread: the writers Joel Dias-Porter and Heather Fuller, and a former student
of mine, Prithvi Jagganath, who proved his own mettle in devising many
memorable mash-ups. In these moments, I do appreciate the Internet, as I haven’t
seen Joel or Prithvi in person, in quite a while. A few days earlier, Joel had
begun an “add a word, ruin a movie title” thread on his Facebook page, which drew
many howlers from him and his friends. I took pride in my two contributions
there—“An American in Paris Hilton” and “Gunfight at the Ofay Corral”—and therefore
appreciated it when Joel conferred crucial early momentum upon “Tae Bo Diddley”,
offering several comments, including “Doug E. Fresh Fields.” In the end, six
people participated, by making 140 comments over approximately four hours. There
were no rules but it was generally understood that we would rely upon celebrity
names, book titles, catchphrase, place names, Americana, and institutional
titles (e.g., corporate branding) for the bulk of our material. Some comments
would influence those that followed. Some made me laugh aloud. Virtually all of
them bore new meaning. By the end, this improvisation showcased a number of
nuanced forms worthy of classification, to the extent possible, and brief
review.
1. A B + B C = A B C. Perhaps the most common form of
this wordplay mash-up, it relies upon two entities that share a common word or
title. Examples: “Harrison Ford Taurus” (Prithvi) and “Weird Al Capone”
(Heather).
2. Extension. This variation on the A B + B C
continues the mash-up for another cycle, adding, in effect, a C D. Example: “Elizabeth
Taylor Swift Boat” (Joel). This particular example starts with an actress, veers
through a pop country music star, and ends with a controversial political
attack, a feature of the 2004 American presidential race. In the end, the
wronging of John Kerry can be laid at the feet of Elizabeth Taylor. Or perhaps
the very craft bore her name.
3. Long Extension. Last year, I wrote a blogpost with
the title “Midnight in the Olive Garden of Good and Evel Knievel,” which plays
on a book title, a chain restaurant, and an American daredevil stunt man. It
does not strictly follow, however, the A B + B C format, which we
largely observed on Facebook. Example: “Rita Dove Soap Powder Keg of Beer
Bellies” (Joel). If you slow down and read it, block by block, it’s an
incredibly compact, fitting phrase, taking you, by way of addition, from the
former Poet Laureate all the way to paunches borne of the suds.
4. Word within a Word. As opposed to the clean A B
+ B C, this form relies upon the reader discovering a word within a word in
order to complete the mash-up. Examples: “Amelia Earhart attack” (Prithvi) and “Biscuit
Carson” (Heather). In the latter, “Biscuit” stands alone but also presents a
punning path to complete “Kit Carson.” Perhaps biscuits were the frontiersman’s
favorite carbohydrate.
5. Front Loaded. In this example, the first half of
the mash-up dominates the phrase, and at the same time, may employ the Word
within a Word concept. Examples: “The Marlboro Manhattan” (Joel) and “The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo You” (Dan). This form, in particular, can create
some sprinting and halting rhythmic possibilities.
6. Acronym. In opposition to the Front Loaded
example above, this form seems to create a slower clop at first, with more
speed as the mash-up completes. Examples: “ROFL LMAO Tse-Tung” (Prithvi) and “KFC
Everett Koop” (Dan).
7. Replacement-phone. This form relies on the reader’s
ability to substitute a “homophone”, i.e., a same-sounding word, in order to
complete the mash-up. Example: “50 Cent of a Woman” (Prithvi). The rapper 50
Cent begins the mash-up, but the reader must supply “Scent” for the film title,
Scent of a Woman. The magic, of
course, resides in the secondary meaning(s)—a beggar’s plaintive plea? or half
of a woman made of a dollar? (or a larger amount?) etc. Oy!
8. Pun. To some extent, all of this was punning, but
some of the replies further referred to the subject’s primary orientation. Example:
“Kierkegaarden of Eden” (Dan). As a Christian philosopher, Kierkegaard may well
have advocated a belief in the ‘fundamental households’ of faith—as a sign of
spiritual health. What better household than Adam and Eve’s crib?
9. Self-Reference. It’s important to say who you are.
Example: “HillBilly Joel Dias-Porter.” However you may see yourself, it’s still
rock ‘n’ roll to me.
10. Complete Transformation. Enter “Remember the a la
mode” (English III; his only comment on this thread) and “Pussy Galore’n Greene”
(Heather). The latter mixes a 007 villainess with Lorne Greene, of Bonanza and
Battlestar Galactica fame, in effect establishing a two-headed, transgender,
double-agent space commander of sorts. The former ended the entire thread: a simultaneous
forlorn farewell to old strongholds with a side scoop of ice cream melting on
the battlements.
5 comments:
Brian Fitzpatrick also contributed to this thread. O, lone comment! Next time, Sir, hang out longer.
Thanks again Dan. It was great fun. Next time I 'll drag a few of my friends with me.
Sounds good. I look forward to it.
Hello, Mr. Tater Hedy Lamarr, my favorite Ziegfeld of Dreamgirl. The generosity of spirit sustained thru this exchange is what makes poets/friends of poets so great. Abstraction? Silliness? As Henry Fool said, "I don't discriminate among modes of knowing."
Thanks for the kind words, Heather. Much obliged for this exchange. I was humbled by the sheer inventiveness of those involved. It was legendary Facebook punning night! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BA
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